What Will Microsoft Announce at E3?

Modern gaming is a perpetual arms race between the big console manufacturers, and E3 is going to be a major battleground — given the popularity and success of a lot of Sony’s recent endeavors with the Playstation 4, Microsoft needs to have a big showing to stay competitive. Like everyone else, they’re playing their cards pretty close to the chest, but we can guess at what we’re likely to see at Microsoft’s presentation during E3. Here’s what to expect:

An Upgraded Xbox One

Microsoft has previously denied these rumors, but there are lot of signs pointing to the reveal of an upgraded Xbox One at E3. Industry insiders and industrious fans have uncovered evidence that there may be new hardware in the works, and even if these rumors turn out to be false, it might be a good idea for Microsoft to pretend like they aren’t. Sony has already announced plans to release a PS4 with upgraded hardware, so if Microsoft wants to stay competitive, they really need to come out with something of their own to keep pace. It will look bad for the Xbox if there’s nothing exciting to compete with the PS4 upgrade.

Windows 10 Apps on Your Console

Microsoft has been talking for a long time about creating a universal platform and making it easier to integrate their various devices, and E3 may be their chance to shoe that they’ve actually done it. The Xbox One has already been confirmed to be the next testing ground for Windows 10 and all the fancy apps that come with it — the only question is whether or not it will actually work in the way that Microsoft intends. Windows 10 isn’t exactly the most popular iteration of the OS, and so far the app offerings seem limited to things like MS Word and Excel. While some people might be excited by the idea of pulling up a spreadsheet after they’re done with a game of Call of Duty, most gamers aren’t likely to get fired up about that.

Still, there could be something good here — it just depends on how Microsoft frames it and how well the app integration works. Stay tuned.

Something Unexpected?

With the launch of the Vive and the PS4 upgrade — and taking into account strong sales figures for the PS4 in general — Microsoft should be prepared to unveil something impressive to challenge Sony’s primacy at E3. That being said, Microsoft isn’t renowned for being the most inventive developer, so we might just see more of the same. Still, Xbox fans are no doubt hoping to see something new and impressive, so Microsoft would do well to deliver.